Type 2 Diabetes Risk From Sitting Too Much

Research has revealed that women who remain sitting down for long time periods each day tend to have a higher type 2 diabetes risk, but the same association was not evident in men.

The researchers said that women who are inactive for the majority of the day had a higher risk of showing the early metabolic defects which become a precursor for type 2 diabetes compared to those who are sitting less.

The researchers evaluated more than 500 women and men from the age of 40 with regards to the length of time seated over the duration of 1 week, assisted by tests on the amount of certain chemicals in the bloodstream which are associated with metabolic dysfunction type and 2 diabetes. Women that spent the longest time seated had higher insulin levels, and also higher C-reactive protein levels and chemicals released by the abdomen’s fatty tissue, such as interleukin6 and leptin, suggesting inflammation problems.

The research showed that the connection between type 2 diabetes risk and sitting time was much higher in women compared to men, but couldn’t determine the reason why there was a difference between genders, though it was suggested that women may possibly snack more frequently compared to men when inactive, or because men are likely to get involved in more robust activity once they do get active.

The research offers important evidence that longer amounts of time seated has a negative effect on chronic low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance in women yet not men and that this effect is found no matter the amount of exercise. This demonstrates that women meeting recommended half an hour of exercise each day can still have compromised health if sitting down for the remainder of the day.